INTERVIEW: OGEE HANDZ TALKS FRANCE, DREAMVILLE & PRODUCING

I really dig your alias, how did the name Ogee Handz come about?

My first and last name initial is OG ( Osama Gabir ) so my people used to called me that but I didn’t want to write it like that because it means Original Gangsta, lmao. I made it Ogee to be easily recognized and I added Handz because I have a particular way to start a beat. I need to find the good loop quickly so I move my hands in all directions. I am also a big fan of Danja Handz so it was a shout-out to him for the inspiration he gave me.

At what age did you find yourself into music?

I wanted to be a DJ first because I love music so much and feel every single instrument when I hear it. I started geeking about music software around 2004 when I was 15.

How did you know producing was something you wanted to do?

I realized that I wanted more than just playing records and I started to rap at that time so I decided to make my own beats and I knew that was what I wanted to do in my life. Create music from scratch and make people feel good with emotions.

What is the urban music scene like in France?

We have a pretty big scene actually, if I’m not wrong we are the second biggest market in the world in urban music. France is culturally a strong lyrical country so we used to pay a lot of attention on the lyrics but now producers with the internet and all the home studios can be inspired by worldwide music and do great tracks of all kind. It’s funny to see what Hip-Hop mixed with local cultures can bring, Today in France we have a big trap music movement and what we call Afro-Trap music which is African rhythms, electro and trap music combine.

When did you start noticing more responses and reactions to your music?

I entered a beat contest in 2011 and I won it with two others producers. That’s where I met my mate and brother Dikc , we signed our first management deal with Street Fabulous/Trez Recordz in Belgium and then our first publishing deal with BMG France. I was like “ ok so now it’s getting serious”, I had people who believed in me tell me that I have a particular & unique sound and can make money off my passion.

How did you get involved with producing for Dreamville?

Bas and I are close family friends, he’s born in Paris like me so we have known each other since our childhood, he left France for the US when he was 8 and me 7. 15 years later, I made a trip to New York to visit him and the family and I was like “Yo bro I make beats tell me what you think of it. He was like “Yo Ogee that’s dope let’s see if when can sell it around.” He wasn’t a rapper yet and he introduced me with his close friend and partner Derick Okolieand all the Queens FIENDS. When Bas started to get involved into recording music he used some of the beats I sent and it was fire, we found a real musical alchemy and the rest is history.

What is it like working with Bas?

Man it’s all about the vibes!! Because of the distance, most of the time I send tracks to him when I’m feeling that he can bring some waves to it , sometimes he send some vibes and be like “Yo listen to that I love it I think we can sample it and make some fire.” When he feel a beat he put himself into a kind of airplane mode and write lyrics on his phone and record it right after. I like to be around him to really enjoy the sessions and the atmosphere so I make U.S. bounds as often as I can.

I first heard of you in 2009 on Brandon Hines’ track “Nothin”. Your verse was in French and was real dope. What was your aim with rapping to that song years ago?

Hahahaha wow, Hmm thank you first. I didn’t really have an aim with that verse, I discovered Brandon Hines with Cole’s song Dreams. “I found that song Nothin’ that I really liked I was going through a breakup so I was like let’s put a verse on it . I don’t rap anymore so it’s some funny souvenirs.

How was it working on “Too High To Riot” with the FIENDS, what was the creative process like with your songs?

We made a trip to L.A 1 year agoDikc and I and we stayed at that beautiful house we call “THE CHAMP” with Bas and the Dreamville Fam . It’s always a pleasure to catch the family, chilling and sharing vibes. There was many rooms with home studios and one big room with the recording stuff. Dikc and I was only there for 1 week and we made like 4 , 5 songs . He play us the EP Loveartsmemoire of Alex Isley and was like “ yo I love the vibe with her music, listen to that shit and let see what we can do, I want that type of mood, something deep.” We found that song “Don’t Do” we knew that was the one , really deep and that’s how we made the Live For beat, Bas came into the room he sat down and started to write on his phone and we recorded it late night later. He already had the vision of how he wanted the record to sound, it was really magic. W–e went back to France with Dikc after that but we was still in that album process . Same thing for Clouds , was looking for vibes and that old Aaliyah “Never Coming Back” came on youtube. We started to loop the sample and add drums and FX to it. We just sent that (work in progress) loop to Bas and he loved it , there is fire additional productions from Ron Gilmore and Jay Kurzweil, everyone did a crazy work on it .

When it comes to music who are your influences?

My Main influences comes from Sudanese music where my parents from , I listen to African music a lot, Arabic and Indian music also . House and electronic music especially French house music, Old school funk and Soul . Hip hop of course.

Bas name-dropped you on his debut album “Last Winter” in his song “Your World” featuring Mack Wilds. What was your first reaction hearing “If Ogee got them bangers, then I go forever with flows” on that record?

I was like “MY NIGGA”. It’s really dope because I understood that he really feels the music that I make, he believes in me like I believe in him.

What can we expect from Ogee in the near and distant future?

I want to continue the journey, keep doing good music with Dikc, produce for the whole Dreamville Family. Move to the U.S. and bring something to the world, not only in hip-hop but Music in general.